tolerable

adjective

tol·​er·​a·​ble ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-bəl

1

: capable of being borne or endured

tolerable pain

2

: moderately good or agreeable : passable

a tolerable singing voice

tolerability

ˌtä-lə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌtäl-rə-

noun

tolerably

ˈtä-lə-rə-blē 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-blē

adverb

Synonyms of tolerable

• endurable
• bearable
• sustainable
• sufferable

Examples of tolerable in a Sentence

The heat was tolerable for only a short time.

stubbing your toe is at least a more tolerable pain than breaking your foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Mary-Kate Olsen, for one, is taking full advantage of the more tolerable temps. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026

Treating air travel like a special occasion makes a long day feel far more tolerable. —Annie Blackman, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026

Few things are less tolerable to a southern conservative man—the contractor’s truck is mounted with a gun rack and emblazoned on the sides with a large American flag—than being made to feel small, especially by a liberal intellectual. —Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026

Think noticeable results minus knives, scars or weeks of recovery — ideal as a highly tolerable refresh, especially during award season. —Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tolerable

• intolerable

Kids Definition

tolerable

adjective

tol·​er·​able

ˈtäl-(ə-)rə-bəl, 

ˈtäl-ər-bəl

1

: capable of being put up with

tolerable pain

2

: fairly good

a tolerable singing voice

tolerably

-blē

adverb